


A Life Worth Saving

by FightForToday



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: F/M, Jean Kirstein/Oc
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-11
Updated: 2014-05-11
Packaged: 2018-01-24 08:53:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1598969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FightForToday/pseuds/FightForToday
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Of all the days Samantha was sick, it was that one. Pushed and shoved, she ended holed up in a house hiding from the very things she had intended on running from. Enter Jean, who, coincidentally, of all days, has malfunctioning maneuver gear. She'd rather not die alone and he'd rather not die at all. Somewhere down the line, everything seemed perfectly planned.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Life Worth Saving

     The silence before a storm is quiet. And when it begins, there is no end to chaos, the pure terror of what is left of the population.

Samantha Tanis had felt it coming. She woke up sick. Very sick. As she lay in her bed, there was overwhelming feeling of tension. Her mother denied it, and told her it was the illness.  She had several younger siblings wandering the house, as if nothing was wrong. And then the bells rang. Voices began to scream outside and the sound of thousands of people running for their lives to another gate.

“Children let’s go!” Mrs. Tanis yelled grabbing their hands, “Samantha, get up now!”

     Despite the absolute torture it was to move, Samantha got up and helped drag two of her brothers. In the panic of the streets, Samantha tried picking them up. They were heavy, but she’d die herself before she let titans take more of her family.

“Sammy, I’m scared.” The youngest, Daniel cried.

“Don’t worry. Daddy will get them.” She assured pushing her way through the crowds. Samantha had long lost sight of her mother and her sisters.

Then she felt relief seeing a familiar face, “Ivo!”

A teenage boy spun around in the crowd and shoved his way backwards.

“Samantha!” He yelled. Managing to reach her he took Daniel from her.

“We just have to get them to the gate.” She yelled over the throbbing of other voices.

“We’ll get there.”

Halfway through, Samantha began to feel weak. Everything was fuzzy. Ivo was quick to take Jordon from her.

“No, you shouldn’t carry them both.”

“Sam, you look like you’re going to fall over. We’re almost there.” He looked at her.

     Ivo wanted no harm to come to the Tanis’s. Especially not Samantha. They had grown up together, and as soon as Ivo turned nineteen, he planned to ask for her hand in marriage. In fact, he had received permission long ago from Samantha’s father, but he wanted to wait for Samantha to be sure of her feelings towards him. Samantha was only fifteen, but Ivo could wait. The worry of titans looming threatened every single human, but Ivo wouldn’t let that stop him from protecting her. The crowds thickened, and Samantha had slowed down trying to catch her breath. “Ivo!” She called, and he turned around, but she was being pushed farther and farther back.

“Sam! Samantha!” He screamed desperately trying to reach out over people’s heads.

The young man’s face was one of pain as he was shoved forward. The wooziness winning, Samantha fell. In minutes she felt her leg stepped on. She screamed in pain. The bone had snapped clean in half.

She begged for someone to help her, but no one paid attention. The last of the stragglers had disappeared. Samantha’s breathing quickened. All she could do was crawl to the nearest house. For most of the day she slept out of exhaustion.

     Thundering steps outside shook the entire house. It woke her immediately and she crawled into the darkest , farthest away from the window spot she could. With terror running through her veins, she saw the monstrous calf of a titan move past. Samantha felt tears fall. The back of her mind made her wonder about her family. Had they made it past the gate?? And Ivo? How long would he mourn for her if she were to die today? Or even if she never showed up again, would he move past her death?

It was all too much. Samantha passed out again.

     Two days passed before she woke up. Her stomach howled and her mouth was parched. Her leg felt as if it was on fire. She tried to stand but fell. With determination she literally dragged herself across the floor to the cabinets of the small kitchen. Opening one she almost cried of joy. Three water canisters. Samantha recalled reading that humans could go two weeks without food but only three days without water. If she could ration it, she’d have six days to live. Almost a week.

Moving back to her corner, she could only sit with her leg out. She drank sparingly. Seeing more titan figures walk outside the window she held her breath.

Her hand flew to her mouth seeing the door of the house being flung open. A young man perhaps her age ran in then closed it behind him. He wore a trainees uniform, and he was panting. When he turned around he jumped a little.

“What the hell are you doing here? Did you not realize there was an evacuation or are you stupid with a death wish?” He snapped.

“No, I totally want to be eaten alive.” She growled, “Idiot, my leg is broke.”

It was then he did notice the awkward angle of her left leg.

“Did no one help you?”

“Believe it or not, when there’s the threat of being eaten alive, people seem to care more about themselves than others.”

“Damn it.” He growled. How was he supposed to help her at all if he couldn’t help himself?

“You’re not hurt, so why are you hiding?”

“This freaking piece of crap is done for.” He took his maneuver gear off and tossed it across the floor.

Sitting next to her, he clenched his fists.

“I’m Samantha.” She offered her hand.

“Do you actually care about formalities right now?” He dead panned. There was a good chance they’d both die, and she wanted to introduce herself.  

“I’d at least like to know the name of the man who couldn’t save me.”

Bristling he replied. “Over my dead body, and it probably will be, will I let you die out here.”

“I commend you on your wanting to “protect the innocent and humanity” but I’m done for.”

He looked over at the girl next to him. She looked pretty bad, but probably no worse than him. Jean guessed her to be a little younger than him. And she was pretty.

“You’re probably right. I just assumed you wanted to hear the sugar coated truth. And it’s Jean.”

And so Samantha just started talking. She spoke quickly, but with passion and eloquence.

Sighing irritated after a few minutes Jean said. “Why... why are you telling me all of this?”

“If I’m dying, I’m dying with someone who knows me.”

Jean was annoyed but admired her for how she was dealing with it all.

“…I think Ivo was going to propose.” Samantha trailed off.

“Ivo?”

“He’s been my best friend for my entire life.”

Of course someone like her would have a fiancé or something close to it, Jean thought as she started to talk again.

Samantha rubbed her palm anxiously. “I would have said yes if he had proposed, but I think it would be more because everyone’s expected us to be together.”

That surprised Jean. The way she spoke about Ivo made is sound like she truly loved him.

“Why wouldn’t you have said yes? You said you loved him and he was your best friend right?”

“I love him, but I’m just not sure I’m in love with him. I mean… there’s just so much I haven’t done or seen, and he would never let me do anything that might let me get hurt, so that’s limiting. Plus it’s just always been said that we’d end up together, I never really considered.. I don’t know trying to be with someone else? It’s weird.” 

Jean knew he’d have to find a way outside soon. Leaving Samantha here no longer seemed an option either. For the moment though, he talked about himself a little, and then said. “It wouldn’t be hard to imagine why Ivo he would be protective over you...”

She blinked. “What?”

“Why he wouldn’t let you do anything that would put in danger. I can imagine why.” He looked away knowing his face was tinting pink. 

“I guess I could too. I had wanted to be a soldier, can you believe that?”

“I could believe it.”

“I wanted to so badly. But Ivo had convinced me not to.”

 “You… have admirable qualities.” Jean fumbled a little with his words, “You would have made a good soldier.”

He imagined if Samantha was his girlfriend, and she announced she wanted to be part of what seemed a suicide mission, he’d convince her otherwise to. Suddenly the idea of her dying left him with knot in his stomach.

Finally, Jean glanced out the window. He saw the 3DMG of a dead comrade. It would be difficult but he might be able to pull it off.

He stood. Samantha watched him look out the window.

“Go. You’re needed in a fight. You shouldn’t have wasted so much time with me.”

“I’d be lying if I said I thought sitting here with you wasn’t a bad choice.”

She smiled grimly. “And I’d be lying if I didn’t think you were an absolute and complete idiot for wasting time with a dead person.”

“You’re not dead yet.” He said.

“Go.”

     Jean’s feet were stuck in place. How could he leave her here? It had been an hour, maybe two. He didn’t believe in love at first sight, but there was something about her he didn’t want to see go away. Without thinking he bent down and placed his hands on the side of her face. Samantha put her hands over his, and a few tears fell, “Honestly, I’m not worth dying for Jean. Go. Kill them.”

“I won’t let them get you. I’ll be back before they can.”

“Do not risk your life coming back here for me.” Her voice was firm.

She was so different from every girl he had ever met. Any other woman would have been crying uncontrollably, begging to be saved. Samantha was brave, much braver than Jean would’ve been in her situation.

Another thought without hesitation, Jean pressed his lips to Samantha’s. She took a moment to respond, but when she did, something changed. It was just them. There was no war. There was no impending doom. She had kissed Ivo before, but it didn’t feel like this. Once Jean pulled away, Samantha said quietly. “Thank you.”

“I’ll come back with help.” He stood again.

She nodded before laying her head against the wall. “Hey Jean?”

“Yeah?”

“Do me a favor.”

“What?”

She chuckled dryly. “Try not to die.”

 He nodded before make going to the door. As soon as his foot hit the pavement, he made a run for it.

Samantha didn’t watch. She couldn’t bring herself to. 

                Moments later, she heard Jean cussing, loudly.  She didn’t want to see, but did anyway. Samantha winced pulling herself to the window. Jean was stuck getting the new 3DMG as a titan lumbered to him. It was a reckless plan and stupid. Yet, Samantha did it anyway. With all her force she punched through the glass on the window. It shattered, and her hand began bleeding.

She yelled. “Hey!”

The titan slowly turned to look at her. Samantha’s breathing quickened and her eyes widened. Tears were forming again. It was most terrifying thing she had ever seen. It grinned and began to walk to the house.

“No! Damn it!” Jean yelled.

Connie and Annie swept down.  The titan’s focus left Samantha, following the other trainees. Jean managed to get the gear on. He sprinted back to the house and pulled her out. More glass pierced her, but she didn’t complain. It was better than the alternative.

“Jean, what are you doing? Get off the ground!” Connie yelled avoiding the monstrous hand.

His team mate blinked seeing him holding the girl.

The 3DMG wasn’t working very well, and having the extra weight didn’t help.

Jean swore and Samantha’s voice cracked. “Jean, please. We’re both going to die if you don’t let me go.”

“No!” He growled, and then softer said, “No.”

Annie swooped by and took the Samantha from Jean.

“Come on, we don’t have time.”

They reached the wall, and Samantha was put down. She lied down, panting.

“What do we do with her?” Connie asked.

“She’s safe up here. We’ll send medics for her once it’s over.” Annie turned to look around the city.

“Thank you.” Samantha said.

Jean glanced down. “I told you that you weren’t dying.”

“Looks like you were right. Thank you Jean.”

He gave a hint of a smile before moving on with his group.

**Author's Note:**

> First of a three part ficlet, hope you all liked it! Comments are appreciated!


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